RICHMOND, Va. – An unusually broad field of candidates are vying for the governor's seat in Virginia as the marquee political contest of 2021 gets into full swing.
Only New Jersey and Virginia are set to elect governors next year, and the Old Dominion’s off-year contest has a strong track record of being an early indicator of broader national trends, previewing voter backlashes against Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump in recent election cycles.Virginia has traditionally elected business-friendly moderates of both parties to be its chief executive, but the depth of the 2021 field reflects the state’s changing political dynamics and the unsettled mood among both Republicans and Democrats.